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Re: James Fulford’s blog post Cincinnati Reconsidered I: The Case Of The "Conservative" Columnist; etc.

From: Robert Johnson (Email him)

James Fulford's blog re Nathaniel Jones' suicidal raging against police officers makes some very relevant points, but largely constitutes a rant against columnist Kathleen Parker and her commentary.

In spite of the criminality of those who without genuine cause practice violence against police personnel, there is validity in the concern regarding police attitude evoking or exacerbating forceful or violent reaction by members of a community still discriminated against, at least attitudinally, in our society.

James Fulford writes: The late Nathaniel Jones, a 342-pound African-American high on PCP who died while attacking police was described by columnist Leonard Diggs as having “committed suicide" due to drug abuse and obesity, was not actually suicidal. He was homicidal. Police “attitude” is caused by differential crime rates, the real threat of death, and by the fact that African-Americans discriminate against them. 

In the Henry Louis Gates/Officer Crowley contretemps, I pointed out that

“anyone was being a racist here, it's Gates. He sees a policeman come to his door, judges him by the color of his skin and his blue uniform, and starts yelling.”

Nathaniel Jones, drug addict, shouted “White boy, redneck” rushed at the officer, and tried to put in a headlock. If he had succeed in killing the officer,  it could have been called a hate crime, but the officer would still be dead.